We’re continuing work on raising money to bring a Low Power-FM (LPFM) community radio station to San Francisco. That means buying equipment and saving up money for three years worth of operating costs. It’s a tall order, but with your help, we can get there.

The Federal Communications Commission issued us a “construction permit” for the station last year – we’ll be sharing the 102.5 FM frequency with the awesome folks at San Francisco Public Press. However, the permit runs out at the end of the year, so we have a time-limit to raise the money.

What can you do? You can support our various fund-raising events, big and small. We have monthly events at the 540 Club (540 Clement, San Francisco) – the second Sunday of every month is a Music Quiz with prizes including tickets to shows. The fourth Saturday of every month is SFCR DJ night with us spinning tunes all night. On April 1 we have a record fair at Light Rail Studios (672 Toland Place, San Francisco). Keep your eyes on this website for future events.

You can also donate money to us directly, either by mailing us a check or by sending us a donation through PayPal – you can use your credit card. Checks should be made out to “San Francisco Community Radio” and mailed to: San Francisco Community Radio, P.O. Box 170697, San Francisco, CA 94117-0697. Our PayPal address is sfcr.treasurer@gmail.com. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

We’re working hard to bring community radio back to San Francisco. We’re so close we can taste it! But we need your continued support to go the last mile!

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Underwriting

We have continued to work to beef up our underwriting program, soliciting local businesses to present the wonderful programming you’ve come to expect from us over our KUSF-in-Exile Internet stream. Underwriters are thanked during the program they underwrite as well as during other programs. They are also thanked on our website (www.sfcommunityradio.org), Facebook page and in this newsletter.

If you are interested in underwriting a program, or know somebody who would, please contact us. Treasurer Damin Esper can be reached at damnesp@aol.com.

That’s all for now. Don’t forget, we’re working hard to bring your favorite community radio station back to the San Francisco airwaves!

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WHAT HAPPENED? In a secret three-way deal with media conglomerate Entercom and the University of Southern California (USC), the University of San Francisco (USF) entered into a contract to sell the KUSF 90.3 FM license to the detriment of our local community. The sale was announced on Tuesday, January 18, 2011, when the station was abruptly shut down.

This action does not serve the public interest, and does not contribute to diversity and localism on the airwaves. We are fighting to stop the sale of KUSF 90.3 FM to USC.

For 34 years, KUSF San Francisco defined free-form local radio that reflected the city’s unique heart and soul. Famous for featuring diverse cultural programs as well as new underground music, KUSF was one of the first radio stations in the U.S. to play punk rock, and also served a dozen different language groups. An irreplaceable source for community news, information, music and culture, KUSF reflected San Francisco’s diversity, earning the moniker “Your Cultural Oasis.” You can help us fight this travesty by generously donating to Friends of KUSF, while our lawyers petition the FCC to block the sale. Help restore an essential voice of the San Francisco Bay Area to the air. Any amount will benefit. Please donate now. Thank you for your support!

Help us save KUSF 90.3 FM – San Francisco’s Cultural Oasis

KUSF has been a learning laboratory for USF students and a thriving communications hub for San Francisco’s diverse cultural and ethnic communities for 34 years.

The station served as a free communications nexus for a wide variety of small businesses, civic groups, and arts organizations, and regularly featured independent film, authors, educators and musicians from the Bay Area and beyond.

Broadcasting programs in 13 languages, KUSF served local ethnic communities that had no other voice on the broadcast spectrum, including 90 minutes of Cantonese news programming every weeknight.